Chelsea manager Frank Lampard is eyeing West Ham’s Declan Rice as a potential “successor” to club legend John Terry, according to the Times.

The 21-year-old has ostensibly played as a holding midfielder for the Hammers but he is being targeted as a potential option to strengthen the backline.

Supporters are very much split over whether Rice would be the right player to reinforce the defence:

Bring him home

— Tony (@ChukzTony) July 6, 2020

Wtf is wrong with Chelsea are there no proper cb in the market?

— richydee (@richyade5) July 6, 2020

Makes sense, he ticks many boxes, plus he is homegrown. I’d prefer Upamecano though ??.

— Aswell Mwanza (@AswellMwanza1) July 6, 2020

I have been watching him. He’s not only solid as a CDM and CB but has leadership qualities which I think we definitely need in the middle to defend counter attacks and set pieces which are our weaknesses. Plus he’s young.

— K▲ND▲KOOL™ (@mphomogaki) July 6, 2020

This guy is overrated ???

— Accvan Deush Mark (@Taskagee) July 6, 2020

I want him but no more than 50m

— ILOVECHELSEAFC (@ILOVECHELSEAFC9) July 6, 2020

We should get this done

— ? (@Ju1Julian) July 6, 2020

He is not a CB. We need to be looking for specialists in the position

— Prince2Eternity (@RodHazel24) July 6, 2020

He’ll struggle to find a starting spot !

— BuddistPunk (@Davidwatts112) July 6, 2020

This just gonna be Erik Dier 1.0

— Mazi Chukwuma (@cmanjohn) July 6, 2020

Rice is a Chelsea supporter and started in the club’s academy before making the switch to West Ham. He played mostly as a centre-half during his youth career but he has limited experience of playing in the position at senior level.

It would be a big risk by Lampard if he opted to shell out a sizeable amount on the player, only to play him in an unfamiliar role. However, it seems the Chelsea boss has a plan in mind, with reports last week suggesting he wants a ball-playing centre-back to play in a three-man defence.